Submitted by Bumbleclat t3_zuefve in baltimore
Is anyone else experiencing no water this morning. I don't believe my service is terminated, homeowners sayy they are up to date. Possible frozen pipes? I'm in SW
Comments
[deleted] t1_j1iljty wrote
[deleted]
dopkick t1_j1imbep wrote
Educated guess at what may have happened...
Your water meter probably froze. There is a freeze plate on the bottom of it and when water in the meter freezes it expands to prevent damage to the water itself. This makes it a cheap and fairly easy repair. The bad thing is that when it thaws out you're still not going to have water as the plate is a single use part that breaks when it freezes. There will be a big leak at the meter and your street will be flooded with water coming from your meter. Which will turn to ice tonight.
I would try to find a water meter key and place it ready to turn off the water. Take a hair dryer to the meter to thaw it out. If it starts gushing water turn your water off and file a 311 request for a broken freeze plate / no water. You'll have to go a few days without water before it is fixed.
Also possible, but less likely - you have a frozen pipe inside the house. This can turn into a catastrophe if you don't catch it quick. Try to inspect the plumbing where it enters the house. Does any of it look cracked? If so, you need to turn off the water with the aforementioned key and it's your problem to resolve, not 311's.
If you cannot locate a key you can use a wrench. Just have it pre-positioned prior to dethawing the meter because the area around the meter will be flooded with freezing cold water and you'll have to stick your hand in it to shut it off.
EDIT: Just saw you're a renter. Not your responsibility but your problem for sure. I would not mess around with this, inform your landlord.
Bumbleclat OP t1_j1iu15j wrote
She called and supposedly someone coming out toady
Animanialmanac t1_j1itbua wrote
Good luck, my friends without water are off Washington Boulevard. Part of their road is very icy with several hit and run car accidents so far. When I last spoke to them about an hour ago they still not have water but other neighbors did, it didn’t seem to affect the entire block.
Do you have a community resource or center that can provide updates or a warm place with water? I’m by Saint Agnes hospital, all the centers, neighborhood groups and everything that would help are gone. My house is chaos with people right now, happy chaos, but help from the city or neighborhood group would be welcome.
Bumbleclat OP t1_j1iume4 wrote
I'm also close to the hospital
Animanialmanac t1_j1iwpuk wrote
Be careful if you go out, I called 311 for salt on Wilkens and Unetta where I saw the water leaks freezing. It’s still very icy on some spots.
Is the water out for the others on your block? My water is on but there are definitely leaks under the roads because the water is coming up. Did you call 311 to report it?
Bumbleclat OP t1_j1jlhvm wrote
Yes we called,they said that there was no cancellation and no reported stoppages in the area however my neighbor had lost water and had recently regained it so I'm believing now it's just a frozen pipe issue however there have been reports of local areas like Morell Park and also to West Side that have had water main breaks but no one has come back out Merry Christmas and thanks for your response
Floss_tycoon t1_j1jl8do wrote
If the pipes run close to an outside wall, that will be the problem. Find the problem pipes and use a hair dryer to warm them up. Copper transfers heat fairly quickly.
Shadow-Spark t1_j1j4poz wrote
Yeah, definitely frozen pipes. We left our water dripping last night and still woke up to ours frozen. A couple of other people on my street have also said theirs are frozen today, and I'd imagine it's the same for others in the neighborhood and wider area.
Bumbleclat OP t1_j1jlsoa wrote
That actually seems to be the gaining consensus is that the pipes just froze even though we had ours dripping but all that wind and cold temperatures may have affected it
Killbot_Wants_Hug t1_j1l4yeh wrote
I don't believe your service is terminated either. I really only pay my water bill once a year and they've never terminated my service.
Honestly it makes me wonder why I bother to pay it at all.
TerranceBaggz t1_j1mq868 wrote
It’s likely your water meter. If you have a wrench, an extension cord and a small portable heater or hair dryer, open your water meter cover in the sidewalk, and drop the heater in there for a while (make sure there is no water in the meter hole.) the meters freeze BEFORE the pipes in your house almost every time because they aren’t insulated and the pipes in your house are. If you have some fiberglass insulation, wrap your meter with it after thawing it. This can prevent it from happening again.
ziggy3610 t1_j1ilqv5 wrote
Frozen pipes seem likely after last night's single digit temps. If you have access to the service in the basement, there may be a hose bib where it comes into the house. Open that gently and see if there's water coming into the house. If not, the problem is outside. No water is worthy of an emergency plumber call, don't let the landlords tell you otherwise.